Chapter 70

Translator: penny

Chapter: 69

Chapter Title: Faction-Building Operation

A few days ago, the so-called 'Kairen Confession Incident' had been resolved without issue by passing the bomb straight to Mother.

"It really turned out okay, right?"

"Haha, no problems at all."

...or so Schwarz explained as she cheerfully greeted me after I'd finally emerged from my room, having holed up for a week out of worry over the aftermath.

"R-Really?"

That said, I had to keep in mind that this was her personal, subjective take on things.

"It was just a slight dip in internal Belverk support ratings and three succession challenge applications."

"Ch-Challenges from who?"

"Two from Lady Lilien and one from Lady Uriel."

Even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just hearing the follow-up made it clear the bomb I'd tossed had already detonated.

What on earth had happened while I'd been quietly staying put? Come to think of it, Lilien had been groaning in bed that morning when I'd gone around greeting everyone.

"But Mother looked in good spirits when I greeted her today..."

"Well, she's the youngest person in Belverk and now dating her, so of course her energy's overflowing."

"No, that was a joke! Don't take it seriously!"

Anyway, after I sternly scolded Schwarz, who seemed to be teasing me nonstop, she quietly smiled, sat on the edge of my bed, and began her report.

"Anyway, now for the information I figure Young Master will want to hear."

In Belverk, which was practically its own kingdom, even a week away meant falling behind on intel.

So after asking Schwarz to summarize the past week's events, I quietly listened as she spoke.

"First, the fake saint... left Belverk yesterday."

"What!?"

"Don't misunderstand. It was purely her own decision."

The very first piece of news was so shocking that I ended up gaping and jumping to my feet.

"Here's the letter she left behind."

"......"

"Our investigation confirms it's definitely in her handwriting."

Schwarz handed me the letter, and as I unfolded it, the fake saint's clumsy handwriting appeared before my eyes.

I blankly read down the letter, my expression gradually darkening.

Judging by the content, it seemed undoubtedly written by her herself...

...In that case, it was certain she'd left Belverk of her own volition.

"She left just this letter in her room yesterday. The knight order searched the area but found no trace."

"...Why."

"Ahem, no idea how she escaped."

I had no way to stop her if that's what she wanted, but if I'd seemed a bit more reliable, maybe this wouldn't have happened.

'It's because I'm too weak.'

As I moped with those thoughts, Schwarz gently stroked my head and continued her report.

"Next, the ladies from the founding noble houses who've been staying long-term in Belverk are leaving the estate soon."

"...They were still here?"

"Well, it's been almost a week since your birthday, so staying this long was practically a miracle."

Come to think of it, I hadn't spoken to the daughters and disciples of those founding house heads since the birthday chat.

"What were they here for, anyway?"

"Hm, who knows..."

As I asked with a hint of regret, Schwarz pondered quietly before responding.

"My personal guess? They wanted to build a friendly rapport with you."

"With me?"

"Yes, but since you've been so busy lately, they couldn't find an opening and are heading out."

The moment her explanation ended, the System—which had only recently escaped its error state—popped up a message before me.

I'd already cleared the Chapter 2 Main Quest, but missing out on extra bonuses like this was too regrettable...

"This won't do."

"Hm?"

"Hey, Big Sis Schwarz."

After sitting on the bed deep in thought for a while, I steeled my resolve and spoke to Schwarz beside me.

"To reiterate, my goal is to become family head."

"......"

"But until now, I've just been scrambling to survive in Belverk."

Schwarz stared at me like she had no idea what I was getting at, but thankfully she picked up on my mood and nodded seriously.

"Of course, I've gotten close to Third Sis and Second Sis, and Mother and the maids have been good to me..."

"But it's still impossible to challenge the eldest lady right now."

"...Yes, exactly!"

She hit the nail on the head, so without further delay, I got to the point.

"So..."

Honestly, it was something I'd been mulling over even before my birthday, but now was truly the time.

"Starting today, I'm building my own faction!"

Having stably settled into Belverk, it was time to gather my own people.

"So, does that mean you're officially jumping into the family head race starting today?"

"Yes, exactly!"

I affirmed her question with firm resolve, and after staring at me for a moment, she broke into a wide smile.

"Finally..."

"......"

"...you said the words I've been waiting for."

Her four-eyed demon smile still creeped me out a bit, but no one was as reliable as her at times like this.

"So, Big Sis Schwarz, I have a favor to ask..."

Glancing at her cautiously, I voiced the one thing only she could handle.

"Assemble my closest aides!"

"...!"

"Can't build a faction without executives!"

Schwarz rose gracefully, still smiling.

"...As you command."

Once she swiftly left the room, I was alone on the bed, quietly curling my lips in a smirk as I muttered inwardly.

'A romance-fantasy protagonist needs attractive aides, after all.'

Alright then. Time to see with my own eyes how much my following had grown since arriving in Belverk.

"Um... Big Sis Schwarz."

"Yes, Young Master."

My heart pounded like I was being evaluated on my Belverk life so far, but the reality awaiting me was brutally harsh.

"This is everyone?"

"Yes, everyone officially under your command is here."

The faction Schwarz brought back a bit later consisted of just two people.

"Hierarchy Demon Rank 6, Parasite."

"Fourth Knight Order Captain Ellen. Pleased to meet you."

Uriel's dedicated maid and the Fourth Knight Order Captain, whose command she'd transferred to me on my birthday.

"And I, Hierarchy Demon Rank 2, Schwarz."

Two high demons and one wolf beastkin knight order captain overseeing beastkin units. Plus me, just turned ten.

Lineup anyone would kill to have as subordinates, but way too lacking for a Belverk family head bid.

"I'm close with those sisters..."

"They're your rivals, right? Not people you can command."

"What about the maids and knight captains...?"

"Young Master, their command authority belongs to the Duke."

Of course, I'd half-expected this. Everyone in Belverk treated me kindly, but the founding head's strict rules kept them from openly siding with me.

- Young Master! Picking aides, right?

- I'll be your aide~!

- We'll convince the Duke ourselves!

The maids seemed to be clamoring outside my door, but Schwarz's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠icy glare said to ignore them.

"Don't look so down, Young Master."

"Yeeeah..."

"Haha, if you keep sulking like that, what does that make Lady Lilien with just one dedicated maid?"

Her words made me feel like I'd at least won something.

Truth be told, building this much in under a year in Belverk was impressive.

"Oh, and remember—these two are on loan. Their command is only temporarily transferred."

"......"

"Meaning the only one you can absolutely trust is me. Haha."

I'd been basking in a bit of mental victory, but her addendum had me glancing nervously at Uriel's loaned aides before sinking into thought.

'Yeah, this won't cut it...'

Frankly, forget family head—this setup couldn't even protect me from Eldest Sis.

'But finding more aides inside Belverk is impossible.'

The problem was Belverk's personnel pool was tapped out; I needed to dig a new well.

'In that case...'

With my thoughts reaching that point, I decided to reveal the breakthrough I'd agonized over and stood.

"Then, announcing the first mission for the Kairen Faction!"

I stepped over to a magic notepad resembling a chalkboard I'd prepared in advance.

"Heave-ho."

For a proper ten-year-old boy, I was still pretty short, so swallowing my embarrassment, I had Schwarz help me onto a chair and cleared my throat.

"Our first operation is..."

After scanning my three aides, I solemnly scribbled on the board.

"This!"

The ensuing silence was broken by...

"...Pardon?"

"That's..."

"...Hmm."

The mood was oddly awkward—far from what I'd expected.

"Your Grace, pardon the intru..."

A day after Kairen announced his secret ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠weapon—a breakthrough plan he'd devised—to his first assembled aides.

"...Your Grace?"

Schwarz, visiting Astridje's office as usual to bask in the morning sunlight filtering down the hall, casually opened the door and doubted her eyes.

"What are you doing?"

Astridje, who never fussed with her appearance—not even touching makeup at her own debutante ball—was gazing into a hand mirror, applying cosmetics.

A scene Schwarz had never witnessed since starting at Belverk.

"Nothing."

"But..."

"...Nothing."

As Schwarz stared blankly and tried to ask, Astridje hastily shoved her makeup set into a drawer, then fixed a cold expression and turned the question back.

"What is it?"

"Well, that is..."

Schwarz decided to forget what she'd seen, swiftly resuming her usual face and turning her head—

"Mother!"

When Kairen popped out from behind her back, beaming innocently as always.

"Ah, yes..."

"......?"

"...Yes, Kairen."

Astridje blushed slightly more than usual at the sight of him, quietly averting her gaze as she spoke.

"What brings you here today?"

Kairen rummaged in his pocket and pulled something out.

- Pat pat pat...

He toddled right up ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to Astridje and thrust the documents in his hand at her.

"Please approve this!"

Astridje finally snapped to, accepting the papers with intrigued curiosity.

"If you want something, just say it—why bother with documents..."

She smiled, fully intending to approve whatever her son had prepared, no matter the content.

"......Huh?"

But that resolve crumbled as she reached for the family head's seal in the drawer and froze.

The title was far too massive to approve lightly with family head authority.

"I stayed up all night making it!"

"Uh......"

"What do you think? How is it?"

After freezing briefly, Astridje slowly began reading at Kairen's eager prompting.

She quietly set the papers down and addressed the tense Kairen before her.

"Kairen."

"Yes?"

"This is with prior agreement, right?"

Kairen shook his head vigorously with an utterly innocent smile.

"...No!"